Nabalamprophyllite gets its name from its composition (Naba, meaning sodium, Na and barium, Ba) and relation to other lamprophyllite-group minerals. #science #nature #geology #minerals #rocks...
Opal gets its playful colors through a phenomenon called diffraction. #science #nature #geology #minerals #rocks #infographic #earth #diffraction #opal http://ift.tt/1RKHYLP
Tectonic Plates Drifting in Opposite Directions Cause 500 Earthquakes a Week Iceland situated atop of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent pl...
Prior to 1982, everyone called titanite 'sphene'. Now only Europeans call titanite 'sphene'. #science #nature #geology #minerals #rocks #infographic #earth #sphene #titanite http://ift.tt/1LmKdFT
Niedermayrite was named for Gerhard Niedermayr (born 1941), an Austrian mineralogist. It was first described in 1998 from a mine in the Lavrion District, Attica, Greece. #science #nature #geology...
Benitoite is named after San Benito Co., California, where this mineral was first found and where - to this day - nearly all benitoite is found. #science #nature #geology #minerals #rocks #infographic...
Sedimentary rocks are layered on top of other rocks because of variations in particle size, texture or weight.
The California Academy of Sciences is the best natural history museum in the San Francisco Bay Area with a rainforest, aquarium, and dinosaur fossils. This review has everything you need to know about the museum from the exhibits at the Academy of Sciences to the animals within, such as the...
Often mistaken for other minerals, apatite gets its name from the Greek word (apatein), which means to deceive or to be misleading. #science #nature #geology #minerals #rocks #infographic #earth...
Cleavage is the tendency of a mineral to break along flat, smooth planes due to the arrangement of its atoms. These planes of weakness are d...
The cyclical opening and closing of ocean basins caused by movement of the Earth's plates. The Wilson cycle begins with a rising plume of magma and the
These photos are insane (but they’re also totally explainable)
The Mohs hardness scale measures a mineral's resistance to scratching. Find the traditional scale here and a chart of select gems ordered by hardness.
Once the “shame of Italy,” the ancient warren of natural caves in Matera may be Europe’s most dramatic story of rebirth
10 Amazing Geological Folds You Should See Folds are some of the most common geological phenomena you see in the world – a geolo...
A friend of mine has put together quite the collection of art. He has a tremendous talent not only for geometry and math, but for aesthetics and composition. Rich owns the Facebook page called Welcome to the Golden PAge. I encourage you to check it out. There are some real gems in there. He also makes
Roundup of Montessori-inspired activities and materials for a rocks and minerals unit study perfect for classroom or homeschool!
